According to the calendar, the spooky season may be over, but thanks to Netflix, we can all stay in for eight more hours. Wednesday is the show that anyone familiar with The Addams Family has been waiting for since it’s announcement. This opening episode has a little bit of everything the originals had; dark humor, witty dialogue, and some spooky twists. So let’s jump right into “Wednesday’s Child Is Full of Woe.”
1. Catalyst
In the show’s opening sequence, we’re presented with Wednesday in a “normal” looking high school. Normal means everyone thinks she’s a weirdo and stands out in black and white compared to the bright colors throughout the school and people. Wednesday getting kicked out for attacking the bullies that stuffed Pugsly into a locker is perfect because anyone familiar with the character knows she’s someone of very little emotion but always has a soft spot for her younger brother. It’s a typical sibling relationship where she can beat up on him, which she does, but no one else is allowed. Sure she goes her usual level off the rails with piranhas in the pool, but if there weren’t something gory or “scary” that she did in the first episode, it would have been a disappointment.
2. Parent’s History with Nevermore Academy
Since Wednesday is expelled from her last school, the 8th one in 5 years, her parents Gomez and Morticia, decide to enroll her in the academy where they’d be open to someone of her level but a place they are familiar with as well. Nevermore Academy was where the two met and fell in love, and surprisingly enough feels like Morticia may have been one of the more popular students with her involvement in the various clubs. It’s fun to get a little glimpse into the parents’ history because they usually reference things they’ve done, but the audience is never shown what exactly happened. It’s also going to be interesting in where Gomez fits in the social hierarchy back in the day and how he was able to woo Morticia. There is also this rebellious teenager storyline that is being started between Wednesday and her mom that is refreshing because, in the history of the Addams family, there’s usually a strong bond. So to see it with a rift feels like the writers are going for a good twist with the lore. The parent’s connection to the academy also puts Wednesday in a “spoiled” light to the other students as she is one of the only students able to transfer mid-school year.
3. Adults With Secrets
Another exciting way to mess with Wednesday is with adults who know a little more about her than she would usually like. The character, Wednesday, always has this unbroken confidence when speaking to anyone else and thinks, and is usually correct, about being the smartest in the room. However, in this first episode alone, she now has to deal with three adults who know a thing or two more than she would normally be comfortable with. Principal Larissa Weems is the head of the school and, back in the day, was Morticia’s roommate when they went to Nevermore. From the opening interview with Wednesday and her parents, this inherent sense of knowledge about her creates uneasy tension within the scene.
The following two, as of now, are more side characters but have plenty of room for interactions for the rest of the season. The first is Ms. Thornhill, played by Christina Ricci, so off the bat, you know she can’t just be a one-and-done character. Thornhill is the dorm mom, so she will watch Wednesday and her roommate to ensure they’re getting along. Her welcome gift to the dorms is what trips up Wednesday, a black dahlia flower that she determined would be a good fit for her from her psych eval. The same evaluation that Dr. Valerie Kimbott may have access to also contains Wednesday’s manuscripts for her novels. Again, this is very dear to the main character and information she didn’t share with the therapist. This hold of information over Wednesday’s head is something she will struggle with throughout this season’s tenure.
4. Visions
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Another exciting twist thrown into the show, but fitting the supernatural elemental, is giving Wednesday these psychic visions. They seem to come from physical touch from a person that reveals either a future death or a more recent trauma. It happens several times during the episode to show the significance of the power but is not overbearing, which takes away from the episode itself. It also remains a secret with only Wednesday, not even her family knows, so it will be interesting to find out the origin or source of her developing powers and how they will play throughout the show.
5. Not So Bad Afterall
Despite a crazy week of adventures that could only be compared to a full year of Hogwarts, Wednesday decides to stay at Nevermore Academy and not tell her family anything about what she has been through. She had a chance to escape the academy with the help of Tyler Galpin, the local sheriff’s son, but staying back to help a classmate helped her realize that something must be solved. The first episode feels like a solid introductory chapter to the Addams family lore and gives elements for both new and old fans. Yes, it will be centered around a mystery inside a school full of supernatural teenagers but let’s hope that there are more gore and spooky elements to keep everyone entertained.
